Yankees Ask Burnett With 7.57 ERA to Keep Their Season Alive

New York Yankees pitcher A.J. Burnett walks off the field after being pulled during the 6th inning of a game against the Kansas City Royals on Aug. 15, 2011. Photographer: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Oct. 4 (Bloomberg) -- The New York Yankees’ chances of
keeping their season alive may hinge on the right arm of pitcher
A.J. Burnett.

Burnett will start tonight’s Game 4 at Comerica Park in
Detroit after the Yankees lost consecutive games against the
Tigers to fall behind 2-1 in the best-of-five American League
Division Series.

Burnett, who is a combined 21-26 with a 5.20 earned run
average over the past two seasons, is only getting a start
because rain suspended Game 1 of the series. He’d been set to
pitch in relief during the playoffs after compiling a 7.57 ERA
over his final seven starts of the regular season.

“Obviously, I give them reasons here and there to doubt,”
the 34-year-old Burnett told reporters before last night’s 5-4
loss to the Tigers. “I’m not going to go out and try to prove
anything. I’m going to go out and try to win a ballgame.”

If the Yankees lose, their season is over and the Tigers
advance to the AL Championship Series. A Yankees win would force
a decisive Game 5 in New York in two days. The game starts at
8:30 tonight.

“He knows what’s at stake,” said fellow Yankees pitcher
CC Sabathia, who allowed four runs over 5 1/3 innings last
night. “I’m looking for him to come out and pick us up.”

Burnett joined the Yankees before the 2009 season, signing
a five-year, $82.5 million contract. His $16.5 million annual
salary is higher than every player’s on the Tigers except first
baseman Miguel Cabrera, who makes $20 million and batted .344
and hit 30 home runs this season.

Starts Against Tigers

Burnett went 1-1 with a 3.75 ERA in two starts against the
Tigers this year, allowing eight runs -- five earned -- over 12
innings. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he’s confident in
Burnett, who led Major League Baseball with 25 wild pitches this
season and was fifth in walks allowed.

“I feel good about what A.J. is going to do for us,”
Girardi said after last night’s loss.

The Tigers will counter with 22-year-old Rick Porcello, a
native of Morristown, New Jersey, who went 14-9 with a 4.75 ERA
for the AL Central Division champions this season. While
Porcello won his lone start against the Yankees this season on
May 5, he’ll be making his postseason debut tonight.

Burnett has a 1-2 record with a 5.67 ERA in six career
playoff starts with New York. He allowed one run over seven
innings in the Yankees’ win over Philadelphia in Game 2 of the
2009 World Series, and then followed it up by surrendering six
runs in two innings in a Game 5 loss.

“I had good games and bad games during the season,”
Burnett said. “You can say the same thing about the postseason,
but you can’t count me out. I’m going to bring everything I’ve
got and just let A.J. loose out there.”